do you carry +1 ?

But -- there's always that chance, however remote, that the 15th round is the one that is critical.
And there is always that chance, however remote, that the 16th round is the one that is critical. And there is always that chance, however remote, that the 17th round is the one that is critical. And there is always that chance, however remote, that the 18th round is the one that is critical. And there is always that chance, however remote, that the 19th round is the one that is critical. And there is always that chance, however remote, that the 20th round is the one that is critical. And so on. No matter where one draws the line it is always an arbitrary decision, and arguing that 15 is better than 14 is no different than arguing 15 is not as good as 16.
Why go out of your way to handicap yourself?
You assume it is a handicap. Others might suggest that the handicap is in reducing the potential liability of the gun by fully loading the mag, or a variety of other things.
 
:rolleyes:

You can only carry the maximum allowed by the gun/mag.

So why not do so?

If the capacity is too low for ones comfort than get another gun...and then load it to max as well.
 
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22-Mag is correct about the springs, so you may as well accept it. It's a fact of physics.

More than physics is involved, as spring manufacturers themselves will tell you. The manufacturers cannot agree on what causes fatigue, it seems rather presumptious for others to declare the debate over and done with. In fact, machinists list numerous causes of possible spring failure including both repeated compression and extended compression.

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On another note, no springs as bad as you are talking about would even be used in a gun or magazine.

And yet we have seen it on more than one occasion. I've never had a Glock mag fail me, I've had a couple of 1911 mags go down without any extended cycling. I've seen shotgun mag springs lose their set without any large amount of cycling but a lot of sitting around loaded

Well, that is certainly something for me to ponder, in the event I come across anyone else, with the same opinons, who is an authority on the matter.
 
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If I ever get into a shootout with someone I hope its someone that doesn't have their magazine topped off. It would be even better if they had to chamber a round before shooting at me. Enough said :)
 
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Yes. I carry cocked and locked, and I usually have an extra magazine. In my double action semi autos (P229, P232) I also carry one in the chamber and the magazine completely full. I don't keep one in the chamber in my .223 or my 12 ga., but the magazines are full.

I would always avail myself of a design feature that the gun's manufacturer offered me. . .
 
Well, that is certainly something for me to ponder, in the event I come across anyone else, with the same opinons, who is an authority on the matter.
you mean, maybe, like the folks at Wolff Gun Springs?
Magazine springs in semi-auto pistols are one of the most critical springs and are the subject of much debate and concern. Magazines which are kept fully loaded for long periods of time, such as in law enforcement and personal/home defense applications, will generally be subject to more fatigue than the weekend shooter's magazine springs in which the magazines are loaded up only when shooting.
Magazine design and capacity also affect the longevity of the spring. In many older pistol designs, maximum capacity was not the always the goal such as with the 7 round 1911 Colt magazines will last for years fully loaded. There was room for more spring material in these guns which reduces overall stress and increases the usable life of the spring.
More recently higher capacity magazine have become popular. These are designed to hold more rounds with less spring material often in the same space. This puts more stress on the spring and will cause it to fatigue at a faster rate. Unloading these magazines a round or two will help the life of the spring. Rotating fully loaded magazines will also help the problem somewhat but it is not always practical.
:D
 
There's always an extra zombie!

Anyway, what's with this I have to unload the gun at gun shows. You can't carry at most gunshows, so leave the gun in the car. Or is it cool to walk around with an unloaded gun. Ours don't like loaded mags, so you ain't loading the gun quickly for the zombies.

Anyway, the zombies hang at the jerky table - so just avoid it. :cool:
 
I only go +1 when I am going to a hostile situation. Otherwise its just one in the chamber, and mag also not stuffed to limit.
 
This is non scientific, but I was taught that if substantial force is required to seat a fully loaded mag against a closed slide/action, then it is indicated to download by one. This might just be a tactical consideration, so that it is easier to properly seat the mag when doing something like a tactical reload, but the same principle applies to topping off.

But beyond tactical and practical considerations if a mag is difficult to seat when fully loaded I think that also implies that the spring is perhaps being hyper compressed, and I'd tend to not top that magazine off.

For example, with my USPc, if I use the flat based magazine I really need to push hard on the mag to seat it if fully loaded; therefore I download by one. With the regular baseplate the spring must have a little more room because a fully loaded mag seats quite easily. I've switched to carrying these mags now, and I do top off when using them.

In my G17, the 17 rounder seats quite easily when fully loaded, therefore I top off. I tried my 17 rounder with the +2 extension, and it was significantly harder to seat that particular mag when fully loaded, so I downloaded that one by one.

Again, probably unscientific, but this approach seems to work well.
 
apropos of nothing. We are mandated by General Order to carry FULLY loaded magazines in our weapons, Weekly weapon inspection to include magazine inspection.
 
David Armstrong---

You still haven't revealed your source of all this wonderful information. LOL. :D
 
I only go +1 when I am going to a hostile situation. Otherwise its just one in the chamber, and mag also not stuffed to limit.

Wow, wish I always knew when I was going to face a hostile situation, then I'd only carry a gun on those days. I'm stuck with only the 5 basic senses so I keep my guns fully loaded, since I can't anticipate when a hostile situation will arise.:cool:
 
And there is always that chance, however remote, that the 16th round is the one that is critical. And there is always that chance, however remote, that the 17th round is the one that is critical. And there is always that chance, however remote, that the 18th round is the one that is critical. And there is always that chance, however remote, that the 19th round is the one that is critical. And there is always that chance, however remote, that the 20th round is the one that is critical. And so on. No matter where one draws the line it is always an arbitrary decision, and arguing that 15 is better than 14 is no different than arguing 15 is not as good as 16.
Amen, David! And I'd like to know why all these "Why handicap yourself" people and Murphyites aren't carrying PLR-16s with 30 round mags. Oh, I see, it's because then they'd probably need 32 rounds for their next gunfight.:rolleyes: People, if Mr. Murphy is going to smile on your day, your plus ones aren't going to cut it. Neither is your extra mag.

Anyway, what's with this I have to unload the gun at gun shows. You can't carry at most gunshows, so leave the gun in the car. Or is it cool to walk around with an unloaded gun. Ours don't like loaded mags, so you ain't loading the gun quickly for the zombies.
Uh, yeah. It's just so cool to carry an unloaded gun that I can't resist.:rolleyes: How about because in this area cars are broken into about 10 times more than houses? I don't particularly want to lose a handgun at all, let alone the legal problems that may arise in the following months. What the hell is the problem with safeing your gun, letting them put a zip-tie through the barrel and having them cut it off and reloading before exit? I find it pretty easy. But I don't want a loose round rolling around in my pocket. So the full mag is enough, thank you.
 
David Armstrong---
You still haven't revealed your source of all this wonderful information. LOL.
Ummm, perhaps you missed this part: "you mean, maybe, like the folks at Wolff Gun Springs?" Of course, maybe they don't know what they are talking about. :rolleyes:
 
Well, we just have your word on that. You still are not providing us with any solid documentation. Lots of bozos work in businesses but it doesn't mean they know what they are talking about. Maybe it's like a lot of businesses--a chief or two and a bunch of "fly by night" employees.
 
I ALWAYS carry 11+1 I used to cycle all rounds thru my firearm every morning to just make sure the action was working nice and smooth. That was until I read on here that working the spring will work harden the metal of the spring then eventually cause the spring to fail. NO need to work the spring. I now leave my firearm fully loaded 11+1. I hope and pray that I never have to use any of the 12 rounds that I carry, but like I like to tell people, I want the best odds possible, that is why I carry a S/W .40 and I go to the range at least weekly and put around 500 rounds down range when I do.

INGunGuy
 
I am tired of hearing guys talk about wearing the spring out by having the gun +1, last time I checked my cc gun was a tool, I couldn't care less about holster wear or bumps and bruises, I carry my fullsize S+W M+P .40 15+1 and thats with no real safety, makes me think a little more and pay more attention. If my gun wears out or looks bad I will trade it in and get another, money no object...
 
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